In the play, The Misanthrope, Molière uses a fascinating comedy to expose the French society of his time. The main character, Alceste, opposes the prevailing parlor culture and makes his friend Philiante and girlfriend Célimène look bad, frequently calling out their “unacceptable” behaviors. Some may think that Alceste’s stubbornness eventually turns him into a fool because of the way he interacts with the people around him.

Alceste accuses Philiante of being “too kind” when Philiante is seen showing respect to

another person. Philiante responds, “When someone greets us with show of pleasure, /it’s but polite to give him equal measure (1.1)”. Philiante’s courteous demeanor is genuine.  Since another individual showed him benevolent good will, he believes that he should respond in kind.  The audience sees that Alceste should understand that it is impolite to engage with others in an unpleasant manner, especially when they hold someone in high regard and express those feelings in a jovial fashion. 

Not only does Alceste unduly accuse Philiante of having done something unacceptable, but he also embarrasses his girlfriend Célimène in front of her friends. In Act Two, Scene Five, we hear Alceste say to Célimène: “You lead her on with laughter and applause/ And make her think that she’s the more delightful. /The more her talk is scandalous and spiteful” (2.5). Although Alceste is displeased with Célimène’s habit of gossiping as well as the friends who support her, he should not have reacted to her words in the heat of the moment. A better move would have been to raise his concerns with Célimène when the two were alone. Perhaps 

more importantly, Alceste is taking the words to heart and the gossip too seriously, thereby acknowledging that he lives in a French society heavily influenced by parlor culture.

While Alceste makes the mistake of acting like a fool around his own friends, readers may question why he is choosing to behave this way. Could it be that Alceste dismisses his friend’s choices not because he is full of himself but because he wants to challenge the distasteful parlor culture prevalent in France at the time? Sylvie Romanowski quoted La Princesse de Clèves to illustrate the nature of French society in those days: “Ambition and love were the very soul of the court…. People sought to elevate themselves, please others, serve others or do them harm; people were…always busy with seeking pleasure or intrigue” (qtd. in Romanowski, 53). 

The passage is meant to show that French society was severely corrupted, especially within the court. People like Célimène and Philiante have no choice but to adhere to the social norms of the time by showing love and kindness to everyone, so they do not lose everything from friends to lawsuits, as is the case with Alceste. Alceste, as an adult in 17th-century French society, should realize what is best for him. Every day, the people around him, like Philiante, would not dare conduct themselves as he does, as his actions have caused hardships and complications. It seems clear that Alceste may not be in the best mental state — he is a misanthrope.

Alceste, acting like a fool around his “enemies” and friends, loses his lawsuit and a considerable amount of money and finally gives up on humankind: “...I shall pay their twenty thousand and gain…/ The right to storm and rage at human evil” (5.1). Through his rejection of the parlor culture of French society, Alceste loses twenty thousand francs, a tremendous amount at that time, and he himself even observes: “I wouldn’t have it changed….” (5.1). Alceste could have followed the unspoken rules of the time instead of being the hero of his self-esteem and ultimately losing all that money. He loses that which other people do not lose simply by engaging politely with others and choosing to make them feel good. Alceste demonstrates foolish behavior and poor judgment by accusing his best friend of being “too polite,” embarrasses everyone who is caught gossiping, and eventually loses his lawsuit and a great deal of money. Maybe Alceste simply wants to be a hero but fails, or maybe he is just not in a healthy mental state. Molière wrote this play to show us a glimpse of French parlor culture and to demonstrate the social isolation of a misanthrope.